Nirmal Minz

Nirmal Minz (11 February 1927 – 5 May 2021) was an Indian Christian theologian. He was Bishop Emeritus[2] of the Protestant North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church Society who served as bishop from 1980 through 1996.

Nirmal Minz
Bishop Emeritus
ChurchLutheran
SeeNorth Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church
PredecessorPost Created
SuccessorPrabhudas Sunil Tirkey
Personal details
Born(1927-02-11)11 February 1927[1]
Anwratoli, Gumla District, Jharkhand[1]
Died5 May 2021(2021-05-05) (aged 94)
Previous post(s)Professor, Gossner Theological College, Ranchi

As a scholar, Nirmal Minz was an authority[1][3] on Tribal and indigenous people and culture. Minz viewed tribes as being the indigenous people of India and opined that moves to alienate their landholding will cause destruction to the planet Earth itself.[4] As for the attitudes of the indigenous peoples, Minz believed that the accommodative nature, communitarian ownership of properties and decision by consensus did not find favour with the colonial British India which even continues to this day with the powers that be.[5] Professor K. P. Aleaz in A Tribal Theology from a Tribal World - View[6] considers Nirmal Minz along with Renthy Keitzer[7] and Timotheas Hembrom[7] as the Theologians with focus on Tribal cultures and ideologies.

The Gossner College, Ranchi was founded[1] by Nirmal Minz in 1971 where stories abound about its students topping the ranks.[8]

Studies and Academics

Graduate

Nirmal pursued graduate studies earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1950[1] at Patna University. After discerning his avocation towards priesthood, he was sent for spiritual formation to the Serampore College, a constituent College of the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) where he studied from 1951[9]-1953[1] earning the graduate degree Bachelor of Divinity. One of Nirmal's companions at the college was K. V. Mathew[10] of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church.

Postgraduate

After availing study leave from the Church Society, Minz went to [11]Minnesota where he pursued a dual degree programme, one in theology and the other in anthropology at the Luther Seminary[12] and the University of Minnesota respectively earning both a Master of Theology specialising in Systematic Theology and a Master of Arts degree specialising in Anthropology.[11] Minz's postgraduation theses were entitled The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements[13] (for M. Th. degree) and the other A Christian Community in a Culture[14] (for M. A. degree).

Doctoral

Minz availed study leave once again and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Chicago where he earned a doctorate degree in Systematic Theology in 1968[11] after submitting a doctoral dissertation entitled Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue.[15]

Death

Nirmal Minz died on 5 May 2021, at the age of 94.[16][17]

Writings

Books
  • 1957, A Christian Community in a Culture,[13]
  • 1957, The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements,[14]
  • 1960, The Industrial Parish,[18]
  • 1968, A Memorandum on the Adivasi Problems in Central Tribal Belt of India and Their Permanent Solutions (with Joel Lakra),[19]
  • 1970, Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue,[15]
  • 1997, Rise Up, My People, and Claim the Promise: The Gospel Among the Tribes of India,[20]

Articles
  • 1961, Approach to Tribal Communities Today (with Dilbar Hans and B. M. Pugh),[21]
  • 1980, Transforming Effects of Christianity on the Tribals of Chotanagpur[22]
  • 1987, A Theological Interpretation of the Tribal Reality in India,[23]
  • 1994, Dalit-Tribal: A Search for a Common Ideology[24]

Honours

In 2005, the Jesuit, Anand Amaladass in Indian Christian Thinkers (Volume I) included Nirmal Minz's life story highlighting Minz's contribution.[1]

Similarly, in 2007, the Jesuit Indian Social Institute, New Delhi published a fetschrift in honour of Nirmal Minz with articles by the legendary Old Testament Scholar K. V. Mathew, Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz and others[25]

In 2017, he got Bhasha Samman by Sahitya Akademi for his works in Kurukh language.[26]

References
  1. Ashok Kumar Sandil, Nirmal Minz in Anand Amaladass (Edited), Indian Christian Thinkers, Volume I, Satya Nilayam Publications, Chennai, 2005, p.135.
  2. Religion and Society, Volume 50, Issues 2-4, CISRS, 2005, p.3.
  3. R. S. Sugirtharajah, The Bible and Asia, Harvard College, 2013, p.203.
  4. Roger E. Hedlund, Quest for Identity: India's Churches of Indigenous Origin: the "Little Tradition" in Indian Christianity, ISPCK/MIIS, New Delhi/Madras, 2000, p.16.
  5. M. Stephen, Contextual Issues: Theological, Ethical and Missiological Responses, Concept, New Delhi, 2011, p.85.
  6. K. P. Aleaz, A Tribal Theology from a Tribal World - View in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 44, 1 and 2, 2002, pp.20-30.
  7. Timotheas Hembrom was supervised for his doctoral studies by both Nirmal Minz and Renthy Keitzer. Foreword by Timotheas Hembrom in The Santals: Anthropological-Theological reflections on Santali and Biblical Creation Traditions, Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, 1996.
  8. Arthur Bonner, Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today, Duke University Press, 1990, pp.251-252.
  9. S. J. Samartha, M. P. John (Compiled), Directory of students 1910-1967, Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore, 1967, p.16.
  10. K. V. Mathew, Nirmal Minz My Senior in Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz (Edited), Indigenous people of India, problems and prospects: Essays in honour of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Adivasi intellectual, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 2007, p.63.
  11. Arthur Bonner, Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today, Duke University Press, 2009, pp.251.
  12. The American Lutheran, Volumes 39-40, American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, 1956, p.510.
  13. Nirmal Minz, A Christian Community in a Culture, Luther Theological Seminary, Minnesota, 1957.
  14. Nirmal Minz, The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements, 1957.
  15. Nirmal Minz, Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1970.
  16. "Heartfelt condolence! We are sadden to inform that Our Beloved Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz has departed for Heavenly Adobe today evening". Nwgel Church India on Facebook. May 5, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  17. "In Search of Roots: A Tribal Perspective". The Johar Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  18. Nirmal Minz, The Industrial Parish, Department of Organized Research, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, 1960.
  19. Nirmal Minz, Joel Lakra, A Memorandum on the Adivasi Problems in Central Tribal Belt of India and Their Permanent Solutions, 1968.
  20. Nirmal Minz, Rise Up, My People, and Claim the Promise: The Gospel Among the Tribes of India, ISPCK, New Delhi, 1997.
  21. Nirmal Minz, Dilbar Hans and B. M. Pugh, Approach to Tribal Communities Today, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1961.
  22. Nirmal Minz, Transforming Effects of Christianity on the Tribals of Chotanagpur in P. Dash Sharma (Edited), The Passing Scene in Chotanagpur, Ranchi, 1980, pp.77-78.
  23. Nirmal Minz, A Theological Interpregation of the Tribal Reality in India, Religion and Society, Volume 34, Issue 4, 1987, pp.71-85. Also appearing in R. S. Sigirtharajah and C. Hargreaves (Edited), Readings in Indian Christian Theology, Volume I, SPCK, London, 1993, PP.46-58.
  24. Nirmal Minz, Dalit-Tribal: A Search for a Common Ideology in James Massey (Edited), Indigenous People: Dalit Issues in Today's Theological Debate, ISPCK, New Delhi, 1994, pp.134-142.
  25. Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz (Edited), Indigenous people of India, problems and prospects: Essays in honour of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Adivasi intellectual, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 2007. .
  26. "Kurukh writer gets Bhasha Samman". telegraphindia. February 22, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

Further reading
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